Soaring vocal lines over analog warmth that sound like the sky opened up. Last Exile's first OST from 2003 is one of those anime soundtracks people still bring up twenty years later for good reason. "Cloud Age Symphony" is THE opening and it still goes.
Read more
That mix of vocal melody and mechanical rhythm captures the steampunk aviation setting in under four minutes. "Requiem in the Air" is devastating, all grief suspended at altitude. "Over The Sky" closes with something so achingly hopeful it almost hurts.
"Workin' on the Cloud" and "To the Race" carry the adventure side, all momentum and purpose. "Vanishing Point" gets into darker territory. The balance between wonder and loss runs through everything. If you like early 2000s anime scores and never checked this one, you're way overdue.